12.
Right before I left the palm-sized Thule, an old lady who called me a new wife came out to see me off with a water bag and several packs of beef jerky.
The old lady finally grabbed me and acted intimately, and in the end, she said this to my ear.
“Hey new bride, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I wonder if there will be one person in my life whom I want to run away with because my eyes are crazy. I ran away well.”
“… Madam, we’re running away—”
“Once upon a time? There’s never been a fiery opponent twice. I know because this old woman tried it all. Handsome and modest are the best. The new bride will be happy. Take this old woman’s word for it.”
The old lady laughed like a good-hearted person, and I failed to manage my expression.
Fuck your new bride! Fuck your happiness!
***
It is more embarrassing than you think to get on horseback together.
Of course, it would be ideal for each person to drive a horse, but not everyone could endure the forced march of driving a horse all day long.
I almost lost my stomach, back, thighs, and hip muscles. Horse riding was a natural procedure. It wasn’t a situation where you could decide whether you liked it or not.
The strong chest touching her back, the presence of thick forearms wrapping her shoulders, and the man’s warm breath touching the top of her head kept her nerves on edge.
Having lived twenty-five years without a connection with such an event, my muscles all over my body stiffened with tension.
Giddy up, said Norma, just before hitting the horse’s bridle.
“You don’t look good, my lord. Did the old lady say anything rude to you?”
“You don’t need to know. It was senility.”
The old lady’s voice came to mind here, and I replied that I was stiffer like a stone and spoiled the soup, and there was a more awkward silence between us.
The suffocating silence continued until we reached our next destination. The physical distance was excessive, but the emotional distance felt a little further.
Throughout the journey, Norma occasionally looked into the distance as if possessed by something. The mesmerizing look was similar to that of a puppy who saw a ghost looking into the air.
Norma appeared to be normal on the outside with his culture and manners, but he seemed insane. He was cursed and fell asleep for a long time, so I could understand that much because he had just woken up.
To be honest, if he had gone a little crazy as a side effect of his long sleep, it had nothing to do with me. All he had to do was drive a good horse and get me safely to Katam.
The day I left Thule late, I eventually ended up homeless, as expected. He didn’t have enough time to get to the next town.
That night, I couldn’t sleep properly in a shallow cave where I could see a clear night sky full of stars. So was Norma.
‘Please please.’
I didn’t know exactly what I was hoping for to repeat “please.” I couldn’t hide my nervousness and just looked back in the direction of Tantaros like a person being chased.
Norma was no different. The two men and women who escaped Tantaros seemed to be chased by different anxieties.
No one else had a hard time all night, and as soon as dawn broke the next day, he drove his horse again. It was because Norma and I were too sincere.
There were no unnecessary conversations either. I was able to reach the village I was aiming for just before sunset.
“Oh, Norma. You don’t take off your hood. If you take it off, you will be in big trouble.”
“Yes…?”
As soon as I entered the village, I took off my hood and said, Norma’s shiny silver hair stood out too much at night.
The bigger problem than self-luminous silver hair was Norma’s gold eyes. Even from a distance of 100 meters, the high-purity gold eyes, as if made from polished gold bars, looked like they were advertised as Diazi.
Now that the existence of Norma Diazi has been forgotten, if someone with golden eyes other than Nicholas Diazi roams the empire, rumors that she is Diazi’s illegitimate child will spread widely. Gold’s eyes were special to that extent in the empire.
Diazi, who claimed to be a noble being, considered reputation, honor, and pride as his life. Diazi’s illegitimate son? The old elders of Diazi would probably jump up and die. Just imagining it would be a fun spectacle
Of course, I had no desire to look after Diazi’s situation. It’s just that my comfort comes first.
Aside from the external features, Norma’s special beauty was more convenient to hide. He was very beautiful and had a knack for attracting everyone with his gentle impression.
The human magnet function he possesses has already been experienced at Thule. Thinking of how long it took him to get caught by the villagers when he went out to change one of the earrings…
A tall, wide-eyed man wearing a hood in the middle of the night would look suspicious to anyone. No matter how much we insist that we are newlyweds, no one will believe it straight away.
But what can I do? The moment you take off the hood, it will draw attention differently. If there was no party, Norma’s face had to be covered.
Fortunately, my side wasn’t special in appearance. I should have been taken care of, but I wasn’t even a worldly beauty.
Also, purple eyes were a rare color, and even non-McFoy could have them. It was not a color that determined a particular lineage like Diazi.
So I lowered the hood, and Norma entered the village with the hood on deeper.
The village was larger than Thule but smaller. There was an inn that was a little bigger. It was exactly what the old lady of Thule said. Although she was a senile old woman, she was a rare good person.
It takes less than half a day from this village to Katam, so if you leave as soon as dawn tomorrow, you will be able to arrive in the morning. Then, I think I can contact the top of Romdak a little earlier than I expected.
So far, it has been very smooth. Except I went down to the restaurant attached to the inn to eat and got caught up in a small fuss.
I led the way down the stairs leading to the restaurant and stopped.
‘Damn it. There wasn’t even an ant in there.’
Unlike before, five or six people in the new restaurant were paying a lease.
At first glance, it seemed like they were village gnomes who stamped their work here every day. In a short period, they were drunk and had another customer go away. Or come here to play the second round.
I was reluctant to go down when I saw the spicy side of me. However, I ate only a lump of beef jerky and a little water all day. I just didn’t want to skip meals because of those drunk people.
I glanced back at Norma, who was coming down the stairs. Norma, standing three blocks above, looked down at me with a strange face. I made a face of nothing and then gestured to Norma to wear the hood.
As soon as I went down the stairs calmly and stepped into the restaurant, there was a long silence in the restaurant.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to catch the gaze of searching at once. I felt more like a beggar because it’s been a while.
‘I’ll bet all the barrels in this store that they’ll pick a fight.’
I thought as I took Norma and took a seat in the corner as best I could. Still feeling the undivided gaze, she clicked her tongue vigorously and whispered so that only Norma could be heard.
“Never show off being a knight.”
“Does it show?”
Then it won’t show off its size. Even though he was covered from head to toe with a cape, Norma’s gigantic body would at least look like a mercenary.
“From now on, I am telling you not to show chivalry under any circumstances. I remember. You are Archie, I am Erica. Archie doesn’t know the same thing as chivalry. Because that is the setting.”
“Yes, Erica.”
Norma nodded meekly.
Norma, who had been through two days, was a very gentle person, and a smile was a habit. As if that were Norma’s default, he was always gentle and kind. Even in the midst of this, it is not covered by the shadow of the hood
Thinking like that, I always took my eyes off the corners of the soft curved mouth.
“Do you drink?”
“I’m not good at it.”
“Then let me have a drink.”
I asked because I couldn’t hold out without drinking. I asked you what’s the point of drinking alone. You’re a boring Diazi.
The eastern aristocrat Diazi was also famous for not being able to drink alcohol. It was very different from McFoy, the representative of the saying, ‘Western people are drunk all year round’.
“Master. Here’s a glass of mett, duck leg dish, and bean soup for two people.”
Mett was a specialty of the Mcfoy estate. Mainly in the West, in Mcfoy, the rice plant ‘Mett’ was brewed, and the wine was called ‘Mett’ just like its name.
Mett was the drink of the common people. Sweet fruit wine was still a luxury for the wealthy. Because of that, it was difficult for commoners to see the sweet liquor. Eight years ago, that is.
The number one contributor to the reconstruction of Mcfoy could be said to be Mett. Among Romdak’s businesses, the liquor business boasted the largest sales.
Of course, I wasn’t the one who developed the Mett. My romdak is just a product that has found its value, mass-produced, and circulated hotly.
Cheap and easy to make, the sweet Mett is now a drink that is drunk more than water in the Empire. Pour it, drink it, drink and die was possible. The taste of mett is the taste of common grain fermented liquor mixed with honey.
It didn’t have a high alcohol content by itself, so there was no need to dilute it with water. It is a drink for the common people, but it was also a drink that nobles also sought after like water unless it was a ball for being educated.
Therefore, as Mett’s mother, I also love Mett very much. When the mood was neither mine nor yours like this, pouring a cool matt into it was the best. Unfortunately, Norma doesn’t seem to know that kind of fun.
As I ordered in a rather loud voice, the gazes in this direction became more explicit and the whispers became more obvious.
It was then.
“Purple eyes, as shallow as McFoy’s whore!”
‘Oh my.’
In the end, the voice of the loudest among them rang out loudly, as if the entire restaurant had to be heard.
It was an unusual provocation. It was so much more disappointing than I had hoped for. I looked straight ahead with a very sad face.
Starting with Mcfoy whore, my old nicknames “The Woman God Abandoned,” “The Witch of the West,” “The Killer of the Peasants,” “The Pirate’s Government,” and “The Alcoholic Lady” have popped out everywhere.
The western aristocrat McFoy is a disgrace to the aristocracy! That was the perfect full set.
‘It’s because I don’t have this much creativity.’
Just in time, a boy working at the restaurant brought a glass of mett to the table first, and our eyes met. The boy opened his eyes wide and dared to stare into my pupils.
“Wow… It’s purple… They have the same eyes as the real Mcfoy whore.”
The boy was born and showed that he had not even encountered the letter “L” in culture. It was different because it was the first time a boy who seemed a little older than Archie talked to me as a whore to my face.
Hope you guys enjoy ♥️
thanks for the update